Why Does My Laptop Fan Keep Running?

Chris Campbell02 Mar 2022

Is your laptop's fan constantly running? The fan on your laptop is critical to its health. However, if your laptop fan is always on, it typically implies that there is an issue with your laptop.

Laptop Fan Keeps Running

A laptop fan is an essential part of the laptop cooling system. When the laptop's temperature rises, the fan begins to spin. However, if the laptop is continually running despite not running intensive computing tasks, there might be a problem.

Here are some ways to fix the problem:

Clean the Laptop

Dust is one of the most common causes of a laptop overheating and, as a result, keeping the fan running. You should clean your laptop regularly to ensure that there is no dust buildup.

Evaluate Your Processor's Activity

Knowing which apps or tasks are consuming your CPU to the greatest extent allows you to keep your fan from spinning at all times. As a result, you can disable certain applications or tasks or use them rarely.

Change the Power Settings

Setting up suitable power management for your laptop to operate dependent on your usage is critical for keeping the fan from running constantly. This enables you to adjust the power consumption of all of your laptop's components and determine how much power must be saved on each level.

Maintain the Temperature of Your Laptop

The bottom of most laptops houses the fans and vents. This implies that they will be more difficult to cool down in particular instances, such as when you set your laptop on the bed or your lap, resulting in fans that run continuously. A simple solution would be to position something at the rear of your laptop to elevate it slightly off the surface it is resting on.  Alternatively, you can use a cooling pad that is particularly intended to keep your laptop cool.

Laptop Fan Running Loud

If your laptop fans are running louder than normal, it might be because your laptop is overheating and requires more airflow, or it could be because your fans are getting old and beginning to wear out.

Here are reasons why your laptop might be running louder than usual:

Extensive Use

When you have many apps open, your CPU and RAM must work harder to keep everything operating efficiently. Because the extra labor creates more heat, your fans must operate faster to maintain the flow of cold air and expel the hot air out. If you have a lot of apps running, consider closing down some of the intensive ones. Once you have lesser energy- If you have too many energy-consuming apps running, your fan should begin to slow down within a few minutes.

Hidden or Bugged Processes

If your laptop is in a cold temperature where air can flow easily and you aren't running many apps, yet your fan is still operating at full power, this might have to do with your processor. Processes can occasionally become frozen or have a memory leak, using nearly all of your processor's power. 

  • In Task Manager, select "CPU" to arrange your apps according to how much processing power they are consuming.
  • If you see an application that you aren't using but is consuming a large portion of your CPU, choose it and then hit "End task."
  • If nothing changes after a few minutes, restart your laptop.

Fan Interference

Laptop fans must be thoroughly ventilated to function correctly. Hot air will have a harder time exiting if your vents and fans are dusty, so your fans would run louder and quicker to adjust. This issue can be resolved by cleaning up the fan vents using a can of compressed air. To avoid any potential harm, make sure your laptop is switched off.

Your fans may be running too loudly because they're worn out. They may also be unseated or rubbing against something else, which is especially probable if your laptop is often moved around. If your fans are instantly audible when you power on your laptop, or if they are creating loud churning sounds even while it is operating slowly, your laptop's internal systems may need to be examined.

Why Does My Laptop Fan Keep Running? Windows Laptop

When your laptop needs to cool down the major components within, it will begin rotating quicker or for extended periods. When you use your laptop, you are putting the processor to use. The more rigorous the task at hand, the hotter your processor will become. As a consequence, the fan could continue to run.

For Windows laptops, you can configure your laptop power management settings to reduce your fan speed and noise:

  • Click the "Start" button.
  • Navigate to "Settings."
  • Select "System."
  • Click "Power & Sleep."
  • Tap "Additional power settings."
  • In the pop-up box, select "Change plan settings."
  • In the other pop-up box, select "Change advanced power settings."
  • Next, choose "Processor power management."
  • In the drop-down box, choose "System cooling policy."
  • Click "Active."
  • Switch "Active" to "Passive," then tap "OK."

The setup is finished. The fan will then operate as needed, rather than run constantly.

Why Does My Laptop Fan Keep Running? Mac Computer

You could have an issue if your MacBook's fan is operating too loudly for too long and too often. Fans are, for the most part, an important feature of a laptop. Unless you have the compact, fanless MacBook, your MacBook Pro or Air may periodically activate its cooling fan to keep its thermals under control. However, if your Mac's fan has shifted from sporadically spinning to consistently and loudly rotating, you should slow it down.

The system management controller (SMC) is the microchip that controls the hardware in your Mac, namely the cooling fans, processor, and motherboard. Resetting the SMC is a simple and safe solution for noisy and constantly running fans:

  • Unplug the power cord and power down the Macbook.
  • Press the Control-Shift-Option buttons on your keyboard.
  • Now, whilst pressing these buttons, push and press the power button for at least 10 seconds.
  • Release the keys after a few seconds.
  • Finally, restart the Mac.

A constantly running fan potentially signals major overheating issues, causing your laptop to underperform or fail sooner, even if it is one of the laptops with the greatest life span. So make sure to regularly keep tabs on your laptop fans.

Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell

Thanks for reading! I'm Chris, an avid tech fanatic that enjoys keeping up with the latest laptop models. Hopefully my tips & tricks can help you out!

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